The making of a soldier in Peru. A group of young men, some of them teenagers, voluntarily enlists in a rigorous military program within the Peruvian Armed Forces. They are driven by their desire to engage in an ongoing armed conflict in the VRAEM, an area with military intervention framed by a 'war on drugs' policy. They aspire to become ‘men of war’ and embark on a transformative journey from hopeful adventurers into soldiers. Amidst the violence in the secluded military environment in Peru, intimate moments unfold beyond a prejudiced gaze, where compassion and care blossom among them.
By combining never-before-heard audio from a private lecture in 1989 with footage shot by a student, this retrospective piece shares the intimate advice Keith Haring shared with ArtCenter College students in Los Angeles a few months before he passed away.
In her feature-length debut director Paula Ďurinová sets out to wander among varied rock formations in order to try and come to terms with the loss of her grandparents.
Spontaneous Combustion embraces the holistic vision of one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most provocative artists and thinkers: the unity of the natural environment and the human imagination, the energy, rhythm and textures of the physical world expressed in clay, words, and music. The film celebrates the legacy of Barry Brickell (1935-2016) and the realisation of his extraordinary dream, Driving Creek Railway: a productive pottery with numerous kilns, a bush railway, a native bird and bush sanctuary and a lively creative hub drawing artists from around the globe.
Habana Shakes takes us on a rhythm-filled odyssey spanning ten vibrant days in Havana, a pulsating island city teetering on the edge of transformation. Infused with a lyrical heart, this is not just an homage to Cuba's spirited culture but also provides an intimate window into the dynamic worlds of Cuban youth. Through the eyes of a skater, a tattoo artist, an actor, a ballerina and an electronica DJ, we find ourselves asking: What aspirations do these young Cubans hold for their nation and future, and how might these differ from or echo the dreams and hopes of their parent’s generation?
Child Portrait is a mirror that presents life from multiple perspectives, reflecting the various relationships between the self and others, and the issues that come with different emotions. Painting is not simply a thinlayered medium presenting one's skills, but an art of deep understanding and acceptance. The painting throws out questions, and I walk into the world of the painting with my camera to find answers with the painter across time and space.
The special follows award-winning actor Mackie in his hometown of New Orleans, where he grew up boating and angling and still practices the sport to date, a passion he now shares with his four sons. Throughout the documentary, Mackie is on a personal mission to keep the peace between coastal communities and sharks. Diving fin-first, he comes face-to-face with the ocean’s apex predators, swimming with several enormous sandbar and silky sharks and tagging a formidable 7-foot bull shark.
Thirteen years since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident, the government's plan to decommission the plant is at a crossroads. We take a close look at the efforts to secure Fukushima's future.
Scotland's history is romanticized for centuries of bloody feuds, warfare and forced displacement. In the glens today there is unfinished business, a war over control of the land.
Lebanese director Angie Obeid embarks on a road trip with her father, Mansour, retracing a journey he made 42 years ago. She tries to reach out to the young Mansour, understand the decisions he made when he was her age, and find common ground. The film explores the challenges and opportunities that arise when navigating the boundaries between tradition and modernity, family and individuality, home and the wider world.
Hirohisa Kokusho unearths the history behind his 1986 horror anthology, Nighty Night: Midnight Nightmares, a film that was considered lost until 2023. The film explores the origin and inspirations, behind the scenes production and development trivia, as well as the importance of preserving media so it can have a new life in the digital age.
In the early 1980s, Viviana Gallardo is a teenager growing up in a traditional middle-class family in Costa Rica. Motivated by the context of political revolutions in Central America, Viviana nurtures a strong interest in social justice and becomes involved in radical political organizing. To the surprise of those closest to her, Viviana is accused of participating in a shootout and murdering several police officers. While awaiting trial and unprotected in a cell, she is shot dead by a police officer. Years after her murder, several people close to her allege Viviana's innocence and a conspiracy involving high-ranking power figures to commit the crime.
In her feature-length debut, Marie-Magdalena Kochová uses the character of eighteen-year-old Johanna to explore the phenomenon of “glass children” – children who, because they have a special-needs sibling, are neglected by their family, however unintentionally. They often feel invisible, their problems are always considered less important, and they are often expected to help take care of their disabled brother or sister. Johana is about to graduate from high school, and so she must decide whether to leave home to study, or stay and help her parents. An immensely sensitive account of the nature of sibling love which, for once, puts “the other one” first. Anna Kořínek (kviff.com)